Sleigh.



C. PRITCHARD.

SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, i915.

1,21 9,042. Patented Mar, 13, 1917.

CHARLES PRITCI-IARD, OF BOONEVILLE, IOW'A.

SLEIGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1e, 1917.

Application led December 14, 1915. Serial No. 66,791.

To all ell/1,0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CrrAnLEs PRrrGHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Booneville, in the county of Dallas, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleighs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention is directed to improvements in sleds, and has for its object to so construct a device of this character that it can be easily guided for turning curves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sled having yieldable means for holding the pivoted sections of the runners in alinement with the rigid sections, whereby after the pivoted runners have been operated to guide the sleigh, the same will return to their normal position, and without any effort on the part of the rider.

With these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vplan view of the sled.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing 1 indicates the top or seat, which has its forward end beveled so as to provide a point 2, the purpose of which will appear later.

Rigidly secured to the under surfaces of the top 1 are the runners 3, the forward ends of which stop at points rearwardly of the forward end of the top 1, and are provided with furcations 4 which are adapted to receive therebetween the lugs 5 formed upon the rear ends of the runners 6. Bolts 7 are engaged through the furcations and lugs to pivotally connect the runners 3 and 6.

The lower furcations 4 of the runners 3 are provided with shoulders 8, while the metal treads 9 of the runners 3 have their forward ends provided with shoulders 10 which are adapted to engage the shoulders 8. The runners 6 have their treads 11 provided with extensions 12 which are adapted to overlap the adjacent ends of the treads 9, and are pivotally connected thereto by the pins 13. By providing the shoulders 10 it is Obvious that the under surfaces of the treads 9 and 11 will be in the same plane so as to permit smooth running of the sled.

That part of the runners 6 which lies under the forward end of the top 1 is provided with recesses 14, in which are pivotally connected the ends of the strip 15, said strip being slightly greater in height than the recesses 14, whereby the forward end of the top l will engage on the strip and will be held out of engagement with the upper edges of the runners 6. Thus it will be seen that by supporting the forward end of the top 1 on the strip 15, which is comparathrely narrow that friction will be reduced to a minimum, thereby permitting the runners 6 to be swung laterally with comparative ease. Y

The strip 15 also serves to prevent spreading of the runners 6, and also to relieve the strain on the' bolts 7.

It will be noted that the bolts 7 are engaged with the furcations 4 and lugs 5 before the treads 9 are placed on the runners 3, and are held in place by virtue of having their lower ends engaged with the adjacent ends of said runners', thereby eliminating the necessity of placing nuts or other securing Y devices upon the upper ends of said bolts.

Having its ends pivotally connected to theV forward ends of the runners 6 is a bar 16, said bar being pivotally engaged centrally between the forward ends of the strips 17, said strips being formed from sheet metal andl pivotally receive between their rear ends the point 2 of the seat 1.

The steering bar 18 has its central portion rigidly connected between the central portions of the strips 17, and has its outer ends extended beyond the sides of the runners 6 so that the operator can conveniently grasp the same, or place thereagainst the feet to guide the sled.

The runners 6 are held normally in alinement with the runners 3 by coil springs 19, which yieldably connect the steering bar 18 and the forward edge of the seat 1.l

Vhen it is desired to guide the sled it is only necessary to shift the bar 18 in the desired direction, whereupon the runners 6 will be shifted, and at which time one of the springs 19 will be expanded, while the other is compressed, and as soon as pressure is released from the bar 18 the expanded spring will contract, thus returning the bar 18 to its normal position.

What is claimed is A sled comprising pivotaiiy Connected orward and rear runners, 2L transverse strip pivoted to said forward runners and having its upper surface extending above the upper edges of said forward runners, a seat secured to the upper edges of said rear runners and having its forward end in engagement with the upper surface of said strip whereby to space the bottom surface of said seat from the upper edges of said forward runners, and means for swinging said forward runners into and out of aiinement with said rear 15 runners.

In testimony whereof7 aiiix my signature, in the presence or' two witnesses.

CHARLES PRITCHARD. Vitnesses E. H. COMPTON, E. R. COMPTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

